This invention relates to outdoor campfire and cooker structures and, more particularly, to an improved, multicomponent, multi-use assembly, the basic components of a tripod and grill structure, a fire bowl and a smoker. Components may be used alone or in combinations depending on the desired use. For example, the fire bowl may be used alone to provide a campfire. The tripod and grill structure may be used with the fire bowl or alone to provide a stable, outdoor cooking grill. The smoker attachment may be used alone or with the fire bowl to provide a smoker. Multiple accessories may be provided.
The enjoyment and satisfaction imparted by the campfire and outdoor cooking are desired by many. The present invention provides a most desirable feature in that it may be used at home as well as in the woods or at a campsite.
The prior art includes several disclosures of only some of the more important features and aspects of the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 955,140 issued Apr. 19, 1910 to G. E. Cronk shows a camping apparatus including a fire box surrounded by a collapsible tripod structure which supports a cooking surface over the fire box. The cooking surface is adjustable in height but only by spreading apart or pulling together the legs of the supporting tripod assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,010 issued Mar. 27, 1979 to J. H. Manska discloses an outdoor grill tripod including a grill suspended by chains attached to the tripod legs by slidable locks. Another tripod and grill assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,280 issued Oct. 17, 1978 to H. L. Iverson et al. In this patent, the grill is disclosed as being adjustably suspended by a single chain threaded through a single pulley at the upper end of the tripod, the chain terminating in an adjustable, sliding lock attached to one of the tripod legs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,152,536 issued Oct. 13, 1964 to D. D. Lucas and 4,538,589 issued Sept. 3, 1985 to D. W. Preston show height-adjustable grill assemblies suspended from a single post which is inserted into the ground adjacent the fire. A tree-supported device which may be used as a camper's torch or as a cooking apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 918,070 issued to J. F. Menge.
Smokers are well known and representative examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,213,381 issued July 22, 1980 to C. E. Ellis and 4,512,249 issued Apr. 23, 1985 to L. R. Mentzel. The former patent shows a multi-level smoker including a lower, centrally mounted deflector for drippings, which, unfortunately, only blocks the flow the heat upwardly into the smoker. The latter patent shows a smoker adaptor for kettle grills. U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,049 issued to W. G. Stewart shows a kettle type grill including a lid so that the device may be used as a smoker and a water tray or trough may be suspended internally of the cooker. However, the water tray is open to food products supported above it and thus the water in the tray will become fouled by drippings.
In outdoor cookers including a somewhat semi-spherical base or fire bowl, it is convenient to have a drain hole for rain water and/or other liquid debris in the bottom center of the bowl and such is shown in U.S. Pat. 4,553,524 issued Nov. 19, 1985 to D. R. Wheat et al.
Another handy and desirable feature of outdoor cookers is to provide a motor to rotate the cooking grill and this is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,301 issued Jan. 17, 1967 to J. U. Lowndes.
What the prior art fails to disclose is a multiple use campfire and cooker assembly which is easily converted from one use to another, includes a grill assembly which is adjustable in height yet very securely suspended from a tripod structure and may be used at home, for example, either on a deck or in a yard, as well as in the woods or at a campsite.